He's lucky a suspension is all he got wearing that shit.

[Jayce]

I'm guessing that the kid didn't learn a damn thing from all this except that school authorities and authorities in general are enemies to be opposed at any cost.

I don't think he should be able to wear all that at school either, and I think we all agree that he's doing it to get attention and push boundaries rather than his stated purpose. But ever since (at least) my high school days, it seems like the progression of methods of disciplining kids has gone something like this:
"Time to crack down"
"Time to crack down harder"
"Play time is OVER!"
"Play time is REALLY OVER!"
"Play time is SO OVER!"
"This time, play time is REALLY FUCKING OVER!"

And guess what?  It's not working.

Obviously the kid is dumb or socially inept or something like that; duh, that's why he feels that he needs attention.  Someone should address the root cause instead of making tougher and tougher policies. This kid is proof that (at least) ever since 89 when I graduated, things have gone nowhere but south.  Time for some creative solutions.

edit: tense and whatnot

[Roac]

not only will high school kids ridicule you, adults will ridicule you, at your job.

Except that you don't hear people complain about mistreatment by coworkers in the same light they view mistreatment from schoolmates.  Adults are (mostly) held responsible for their actions, and it normally makes for a far more comfortable social atmosphere than the schoolyard.  The difference is extremely sharp, and I'm honestly surprised that your and schild's reaction is "oh well, suck it up".  Not that I care for my sake, being well out of school now, but it is still a very pressing matter because of things like this.

If your feeling is that public schools are OK with having environments that teach social darwinism instead of social responsibility, it's an endorsement of the product.  The product of social darwinism is fairly simple; win at all costs.  If you cannot win by the rules, make your own rules and force others to comply to them so you win by that route.

[voodoolily]

It's kinda funny, but giving all this attention to this kid has only made him a martyr of sorts. He doesn't even look that hardcore from my perspective. If he hadn't gotten the what-for from the faculty, he'd only have his peers to answer to. Maybe he looks scary enough to them to gain some power from it. No one really fucked with goths in my school, and that was 10 years before Hot Topic made all that shit so trite and accessible. They just got ignored as the outsiders they were so desperately grasping to be. I bet he "feels better about himself" because he gets some attention. Everyone knows, even negative attention is better to a kid than no attention. And I don't recall red eyeshadow and black lipstick being particularly Wiccan, so his reasoning is flawed. Some kids use drugs, others use makeup. But they all just need to stretch their little wings and test the waters.

[Shockeye]

I hope those cosmetics weren't tested on animals, because that would be very bad for his Wiccan/Neo-Paganism.

[Roac]

Someone should address the root cause instead of making tougher and tougher policies.

Yes, it's addressing the symptoms and not the cause, and I wish more time would be spent on understanding and addressing the social issues within schools.  That just doesn't come across as politically sexy as "cracking down" though.  However, I do think there is some merit to it; allowing obvious rebellious behavior encourages more of the same.  There are rules regarding personal appearance, I would endorse them for a host of reasons, and even if this kid had real personal issues that led him to break the rules not because he hates administrators but because he has problems, that doesn't mean it should be allowed. 

At the same time, I would hope more work was invested in the problem to find out what was going on, why, and what might be done to correct it.  He failed a grade, he's dancing for attention, and that's not adding up to a bright future.  If suspending him is all they do, you're right, I don't see him learning anything but "authorities are assholes", and that's not a fun road to send kids down.

Edit: Bit more on this specific situation, the article said he's been wearing it for some time, so no telling what other warnings or counselling might have gone into it, so trying to fault the administration would be premature I think.  Just sitting in the realm of "if they did this or that" right now.

[Jayce]

Someone should address the root cause instead of making tougher and tougher policies.

Yes, it's addressing the symptoms and not the cause, and I wish more time would be spent on understanding and addressing the social issues within schools.  That just doesn't come across as politically sexy as "cracking down" though.  However, I do think there is some merit to it; allowing obvious rebellious behavior encourages more of the same.  There are rules regarding personal appearance, I would endorse them for a host of reasons, and even if this kid had real personal issues that led him to break the rules not because he hates administrators but because he has problems, that doesn't mean it should be allowed. 

At the same time, I would hope more work was invested in the problem to find out what was going on, why, and what might be done to correct it.  He failed a grade, he's dancing for attention, and that's not adding up to a bright future.  If suspending him is all they do, you're right, I don't see him learning anything but "authorities are assholes", and that's not a fun road to send kids down.

Edit: Bit more on this specific situation, the article said he's been wearing it for some time, so no telling what other warnings or counselling might have gone into it, so trying to fault the administration would be premature I think.  Just sitting in the realm of "if they did this or that" right now.

The worst thing is these problems are given the least attention.  The kid was probably sent to the school laughingstock guidance counselor who told him "um, you'l never get into college wearing that"

[Sky]

Don't be haters. Good for the kid, fuck da man.

I guess this kid should get on the football team and get to some date-raping to conform in a way parents approve of. The world needs used car dealers.

[HaemishM]

If your feeling is that public schools are OK with having environments that teach social darwinism instead of social responsibility, it's an endorsement of the product.  The product of social darwinism is fairly simple; win at all costs.  If you cannot win by the rules, make your own rules and force others to comply to them so you win by that route.

I think public schools should teach both. Whether we like them or not, ALL organizations that create community teach social darwinism, because it's in our very blood. It's how we are.

We do not teach social responsibility by coddling children, by telling them "It's ok if you're a freak," or, "Beauty is only skin deep." Because you know what? It ISN'T ok to be a freak until you are happy in your freakness. Until you learn a lesson that cannot be taught. "You have to be happy with who you are or change into who you want to be." If it takes getting a pounding school to learn that, so be it.

LIFE IS HARD.

Kids aren't being taught this lesson. They are being taught they are a special and unique snowflake for which nothing will ever happen bad. And it's a lie, just as much as Santa Claus is a lie. Kids are waking up with this idea that they are entitled to everything, and that consequences will never touch them. And when the consequences of them being a freak job DO touch them, such as being suspended for looking like Punk'd Bozo or getting their mohawked head swirlied, their fragile little egos force them to do stupider shit, like hurt themselves or shoot their bullies or blow up schools. Or post on WoW forums.

Guidance counsellors are jokes, and always were. And yet we still as a society keep feeding that system. Why? Did a guidance counsellor ever give you one piece of guidance you needed?

[Hoax]

You guys are pretty off-base from where I'm sitting.

I went to a Catholic High School, we had a full dress code that has now become a full uniform.

That didn't help anybody, the whole it protects the poor kids thing is a complete crock of shit.  You can still tell from the rich kids from the poor, and the elitest fuckwads will still be fuckwads.  Highschool is hell, I'm sorry I can't imagine anything being as shitty as the way I saw so many people treated in those four years and this was at a fairly nice private school.

Who fucking cares what he wears?  The real world will teach him when he applies for a job to take the makeup off, but in the meantime if it makes him feel good to dress like a moron then let him do it.  All that should matter is the kid feels comfortable, so he gets through those four years of being amongst the most vile and judgemental group of human beings you will ever find.  

To me this is just a jump down from prayer in school, most of "society" thinks this is good so you should do it.  Fuck that, let the stupid whiney wiccan bitch wear whatever the fuck he wants.  As long as he stays in school and passes some classes its a win in my book.

[HaemishM]

As long as he stays in school and passes some classes its a win in my book.

Apparently, he can't manage that passing classes part.

[voodoolily]

As long as he stays in school and passes some classes its a win in my book.

Apparently, he can't manage that passing classes part.

Yeah - kinda back to the whole cry-for-help-needs-attention thing. He's prolly just gay and wants to detract from all the other ways he feels alienated. Dressing wierd has always been the easiest way to manifest estrangement into the tangible. Feeling different is too hard to articulate, so looking different makes it more clear. Hey, kid - a little on-the-nose, don'tcha think?

Edit: If he does try to bust a Columbine, maybe he'll do it with crystals and his level 60 scrying ability.

[Polysorbate80]

Wow, I must be getting old. I agree- dress codes at school are not a horrible idea. Kids shouldn't have to wear a uniform, but a 'community standard' is not too much to ask. They are there to learn to be semi-productive members of society, not to look cool.

But there's the rub.  If "community standard" is not rigidly defined, someone will wear their pants on thier head and then cry discrimination. If it is rigidly defined, then its essentially a uniform.

I believe "community standard" is rarely a carved-in-stone thing.  It's basically a matter of "would the average person in the community" dress like this, yes or no?  Yes, it's subjective, but this is the same community that's going to be judging them outside of the school, for good or ill.  Is individualism a good thing?  Sure, it can be, but it can also get you a boatload of crap, and you need to be prepared for that because there's not a lot you can do about it.

As far as rights go, kids don't necessarily got 'em.  There's a reason they're called "minors."  There's a point where your "right" to dress yourself interferes with the right of other kids to get an education; when your clothing is disruptive of a learning environment, it's time to get with the program.  Hell, personally I'm all for the idea of school uniforms.  Sure, they look stupid, but then everyone looks equally stupid...

[Furiously]

I'd like to take this opportunity to suggest "Saved!" as a movie to watch.

[Xilren's Twin]

You guys are pretty off-base from where I'm sitting.

I went to a Catholic High School, we had a full dress code that has now become a full uniform.

That didn't help anybody, the whole it protects the poor kids thing is a complete crock of shit.  You can still tell from the rich kids from the poor, and the elitest fuckwads will still be fuckwads.  Highschool is hell, I'm sorry I can't imagine anything being as shitty as the way I saw so many people treated in those four years and this was at a fairly nice private school.

2 comments.

I also went to a private catholic high school with a full dress code (i.e shirt, tie, dress pants, coat) from 7th grade through 12th.  While I think it was a small help in terms of school enivornment, it didn't hurt matters.  By FAR the larger impact item in the school environment was the lack of girls.  :)  Yep, all male school.  In retrospect while I wasn't thrilled with the lack of females, it DID eliminate a ton of distractions an behaviors that occured daily at my friends public school.  IMHO, most of the fucktardary that happens daily at schools, including dressing to get attention (both good and bad), is done purely for the attention of the other gender, not so much for your friends.

In terms of dress codes vs uniforms today.  My wife teaches 8th graders at a public school and could certain relate many anecdotes of how clothing undermined the environment.  It's very easy to cause a distraction or disruption in a hyper charged adolescent atmosphere with the simplest of things like clothing.  Recent problems she's had at her school this year alone involving clothing range from gang colors, to confererate flag wearing race baiting, to inflamatory t shirt slogs (religions etc), pagers and cell phones (considered part of your attire), excessive jewelry (being stolen, or used in fights), sexually provocative clothing (too short, see thru, lack of underwear, wearing sleepwear/swimwear to school) and probably other stuff im forgetting.

The reason it's such an issue today is you can't rely on adequete parental supervision of this stuff anymore.  So schools get saddle more and more with trying to do stuff just so the majority don't suffer from the assheadedness of the minority.  Let face it, 1 kid with a dress code issue can easily disrupte an entire class for ~25 others... like say the teen slut with self esteem issue who wore a micro-mini and no underwear and simply bent over in class to pick up a pencil she "accidently" dropped.  Yes, that really happened, and of course, it pretty much blew any chance of an instructional session for that class, and of couse became the issue of the week school wide.

So no, Im not opposed to dress codes and uniforms.  But, give me a competancy test that must be passed before you're allowed to reproduce and have kids and it probably wouldn't be needed. :)

Xilren  

[WayAbvPar]

So no, Im not opposed to dress codes and uniforms.  But, give me a competancy test that must be passed before you're allowed to reproduce and have kids and it probably wouldn't be needed.

Amen.

the teen slut with self esteem issue who wore a micro-mini and no underwear and simply bent over in class to pick up a pencil she "accidently" dropped.

Ahh, to be a teen again. You don't get that kind of excitement in software development.

[Roac]

They are being taught they are a special and unique snowflake for which nothing will ever happen bad.

Where did you go to school, because that sure as hell wasn't my experience.  It was closer to, "conform or die".

Kids are waking up with this idea that they are entitled to everything

Because, well, they *are*.  They don't, and can't, earn anything on their own.  Everything they get is an entitlement, up to and including education.  Breaking the culture of dressing up like clowns (or whatever else outlandish thing they want to do) is one way to try and snap them out of that, but it's not much of an answer, and does nothing to stop the social darwinism that goes in in schools which is a bad thing.  You do NOT want kids thinking that's the right social path, because for starters it teaches you nothing about life outside of school (you don't score points with the manager for not being a team player - even less so in a marriage), and for another it doesn't touch on any of the reasons why life is hard.

The difficulties in life mostly revolve around having to work with the people and resources you have to solve your problems, not against them.  Most of us can't get rid of our relatives, our coworkers, or financial issues; you have to coordinate, plan, and balance, and you sure as hell aren't learning any of that in the schoolyard.  There, you learn two things; you had better be setting trends, or following them, because anything else is a social death.

Looks like this kid can't follow the trends, so he's going to set his own.  He probably doesn't have a choice; if he's on the social outs and can't win on that front, he's going to angle for another avenue for 'teh win', because that's what you have to do in social darwinism. 

Think about every griefer-catass that you've had to deal with in online games is out to get you, and how much you bitch about game designs that allow it.  Now slap that in a PvP- world where you can't do shit to stop it, and THAT is what he and others have to put up with.  If you were paying for a MMOG and were told that by a GM, you'd cancel and move on.  His problem is that he can't cancel. 

Get over yourself.  He needs to learn life is hard?  If he's anything like the kids I knew who acted like that, his life is harder than I, and I seriously suspect you, had or will ever have to deal with.  The problem isn't that he hasn't learned that life is hard, it's that he keeps getting told that he's got it easy, and go get over it.  In short, no one gives a rip about his problems, and he can go stuff it.

[schild]

Get over yourself.  He needs to learn life is hard?

This is an unfortunately random first post/topic from WoW. Quite literally the first one on the page when I looked.

1. yu gi oh | 4/12/2005 7:21:28 PM PDT           
 
 
do u think yu gi oh sucks
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE BOSS

Yes, these kids need to learn that life is hard. Because seriously, it is. We're lucky to be able to afford time to have for gaming and when the little ass crispies in high school get into college, they're minds are going to be blown. They're individuality will be shattered because everyone is an individual and teachers won't care if they can only afford to wear burlap sacks. They also will get zero respect from anybody. College kids don't go out of their way to make friends and anyone who wants to be such an individual that they stand out like a sore thumb will not be making friends. Unless it's other outcasts. Misery loves company and whatnot.

That said, a little order in every kids life will teach him the most important thing of all: He is not unique.

Once you understand that you aren't unique, you can start being an individual. Until then you're just an arrogant cockbite wearing makeup. The best time for this bit of order? Middle and High School.

Life's easy when you don't have bills. I was a little piece of shit when I was a teenager (well, up through high school) and I gotta be honest, I wish I hadn't been.

Edit: Here's a link to the WoW thread. Don't click it if you value your sanity.

[Roac]

Yes, these kids need to learn that life is hard.

How screwed up do you have to be to want to make your face up like he did?  That's not the kind of thing you do when you're doing well with your peers and life is peachy.  Would you go to work dressed like that?  No, why?  Ok, what is it in his head that made him to decide to override those social constraints and break out on his own in a very bold way?  Hint:  It's not because the status quo was going well.  When people take drastic measures in their life, at any stage in their life, it's not because they like things how they are and life is good.

[schild]

How screwed up do you have to be? Well, let's pull a more informative newsclipping out.

Here ya go

A California high-school student who practices Wiccan beliefs says his rights have been violated after being suspended this week for wearing lipstick and makeup.

"If I can't wear makeup, then the girls or the staff can't wear makeup either," 16-year-old James Herndon told the San Bernadino Sun, believing his constitutional right to free expression is being violated.

He says the cosmetics help him express his neopagan religious beliefs in the supernatural, which he shares with his mother, Valerie Wallace, a Wiccan priestess....etc

Apparently you just have to be wiccan. I'm not buying into their lame ass pity story. SO SORRY.

[Shockeye]

Let's finish the story schild started...

"After my divorce from his father, he became very depressed, and wearing the makeup makes him feel good," Wallace said.

Herndon, who is repeating his sophomore year, has reportedly been wearing the black lipstick and red eye makeup the entire time he's been attending Pacific High School. He also sports a red mohawk hairdo, though that was not cited as a reason for his five-day suspension.

While campus officials say James' makeup is a violation of policy, they had a hard time locating it in writing, unable to cite any reference to makeup in school regulations or the California Education Code.

They tied the suspension to the dress code in the student handbook, which notes if clothing "creates a safety hazard ... or when the dress constitutes a serious and unnecessary distraction to the learning process or tends to disrupt campus order," the student is in violation.

Lynda Savage, a San Bernardino City Unified School District board member, told the paper "without knowing all the details, my gut reaction is to support the principal. We don't suspend students just because. I suspect this student was a distraction to other students. We bend over backwards to provide our students better educational choices. I think this student needed to make a better choice."

But the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union disagrees, believing codes protecting freedom of expression and guarding against gender discrimination seem to have been violated.

"High school is the time where many students are expressing themselves and really finding themselves and so to suspend the student is such a severe punishment it's wrong," said ACLU staff attorney Christine Sun. "It's wrong not only as a legal matter, but it's not good policy."

James plans on wearing the makeup when he returns to class on Monday.

"My son shouldn't change the way he is," his mother said.

[Krakrok]

Someone spent a little to much time in the CoH character generator.


There is a noticeable behavioral difference when kids wear school uniforms vs. not. Ask any staff member at a school that has uniforms. They will tell you on the days when kids are allowed to wear non-uniform cloths they are noticeably more obnoxious.

Humans are tribal animals. If you watch a basketball game between the blue team and the red team you will see the blue team and the red team even if there are black and white players on both teams. You won't see a black team and a white team on the court. We notice the biggest differences between people and group them togather based on that subconciously.

Which leads back to everyone wearing the same uniform makes you think they are all part of your tribe subconciously.


I'm done talking out of my hat now, kthx.

[Nazrat]

Hey, mom.  Put down the candles and try to actually talk to your son. 

Makeup made him feel better after the divorce.  Do you think that he might actually not be feeling better?  Do you think that he is acting out in rebellion against, hmmm, let's say, HIS FATHER?

Stop being a self absorbed woman and figure out why your kid is so screwed up that he couldn't pass the freaking 9th grade and has to wear makeup to calm himself. 

FYI, kids have no rights except the right not to be a criminal victim.  Everything else is a gift from adults.

 For those that had to work as kids, join the club.  I had my minorities removed in high school.  I was an adult and I was a complete asshole to authority.  I was a National Merit scholar who had his own chair in the principal's office because I didn't treat the idiot teachers with respect.  I learned my lesson because they wouldn't let up on me no matter if I could ace the classes or that I dressed well. I was a dick and a distraction in class because I was bored.  Oh well, I guess they should have let me continue to challenge the teacher's authority by quoting the textbooks back at them and telling them that they were wrong and were wasting my time.  I was a snowflake, dammit. I should have been left alone to disrupt the rest of school one class period at a time.

Kids are just young people learning that they are broken.  It is our job to educate them in how they are broken.

This idiot is a freaking wreak and his mother is too stupid and broken to see it.  Oh, well.  Sucks to be him.  Now, dress like you are told and you might get to learn the 9th grade curriculum this year. 

What is the over and under on the number of weeks until this kid drops out?  6?

[Margalis]

The kid has red hair and some eye makeup - who gives a fuck? Are you going to ban girls who get breast implants, because I'm sure that's more distracting.

School uniforms don't do shit. The kids that go to Catholic schools and wear the uniforms and follow the rules turn out to be the crazy sluts when they hit college. That's the whole preacher's daughter thing. The biggest drinker I know in college went to Catholic school, as did the biggest slut.

So, you guys are making a common fundamental error: Your proposed solution doesn't address the problem. It doesn't teach kids anything about life, nor does it make them learn more in school.

In high school what other people are wearing is the least of your worries. Those girls that dress all slutty? They're in basic math with a bunch of other retards who aren't going to learn much no matter what. So at least let them look good.

I don't think kids should be going to school topless, but some makeup and red hair? Seriously who cares? Oh no, I can't learn, his hair is too scary!

[Krakrok]

School uniforms don't do shit. The kids that go to Catholic schools and wear the uniforms and follow the rules turn out to be the crazy sluts when they hit college. That's the whole preacher's daughter thing. The biggest drinker I know in college went to Catholic school, as did the biggest slut.

A good portion of Catholics being raging drunks doesn't stem from repressive uniforms.

[schild]

A good portion of Catholics being raging drunks doesn't stem from repressive uniforms.

I can't wait for someone to notice you were talking about fathers. Oh man, that'll be great.

I'm sure the slut ratio from Catholic school is no higher than any other all girls school. That said, the plaid skirts do draw that much attention vs. jeans or whatever.

[WayAbvPar]

The kids that go to Catholic schools and wear the uniforms and follow the rules turn out to be the crazy sluts when they hit college.

So they followed the rules and got through high school without being a huge distraction to their classmates? Mission accomplished.

[Raging Turtle]

Quick post because my day is about to start:

As a student, I hated the idea of dress codes/uniforms.  Kills individualism, pointless display of power by the administration just because they could.
As someone training to be a teacher, I still thought dress codes/uniforms were a bad idea.  Any 'good' teacher ought to be able to work around any distractions they might create.  
Now, as a teacher, I love dress codes.  It creates an instant line that puts all the students in one group and the teachers- who NEED to define themselves as authority figures, even if it means being a dick- in another group.  Can this be done either ways?  Sure, but not as easily.  It has NOTHING to do with a 'awww make the poor students feel better' concept.  If you've ever heard that line, its just PR.  
Its one less way for the 'look-at-me' students to disrupt the class, and you'd be amazed how quickly attitude disappears once a student puts on a uniform.  Think you're a 16 year old thug?  Dress like it when cruising the mall, not in my fucking classroom.  
When I first started teaching, I asked the students in every class what they thought of uniforms.  90 percent said they liked it, that it was one less thing they have to worry about.

And for you people who think that dresscodes/uniforms are a form of oppression:  You are a fucking moron and have absolutely no idea what oppression really is.

Wasn't able to read the entire thread, I'll try to post more later

[Polysorbate80]

Are you going to ban girls who get breast implants, because I'm sure that's more distracting.

I'd rather ban their parents for being fucking idiots.

What would Jesus do?  Light 'em on fire and send them to hell!

[stray]

And for you people who think that dresscodes/uniforms are a form of oppression:  You are a fucking moron and have absolutely no idea what oppression really is.

I guess a simple "Fuck you" is appropriate here. You don't know anything about me.

And to think, I actually liked you before you posted that.

[Shockeye]

In high school what other people are wearing is the least of your worries. Those girls that dress all slutty? They're in basic math with a bunch of other retards who aren't going to learn much no matter what. So at least let them look good.

Yes, let's just write off all those kids as never being anything. I'm glad you're not my kid's teacher.

[NiX]

Dress codes work within certain limitations. I went to a catholic highschool and we had to wear uniforms. This was all fine and dandy for me. Never having to choose what you're going to wear makes waking up 5 minutes before your bus comes REALLY easy. But, I'm scarred. I look at the ground when I walk up stairs now. Why? Because letting young girls wear kilts above knee length can lead to some scary fucking shit. I looked up once.. chewbacca was stuck and I couldn't help him. Scarred for life.

[Samprimary]

I am not personally a supporter of dress codes. It's the wrong approach, albeit for legitimate concerns regarding the observation of social ostracization and 'class markers' that are used informally but implicitly within school populations to denote upper and lower social classes.

All dress codes manage to do is attempt to band-aid the problem in a mostly ineffective manner. It's a scrappy tactic that is rarely implemented well enough to achieve any of the things they are ostensibly put in place to achieve, and even when done 'well', it's the wrong approach to social engineering of conformity in schools.

Much like I believe that any group should be able to peaceably express their views - even if that means that you get KKK marches - I also believe that schools should allow students to dress as they wish, even if that means that you get this eye-shrivelling abomination before Taste Immemorial.

Not to say that there shouldn't be limits imposed strictly towards the purpose of maintaining a professional educational environment: certain excesses in dress are disruptive, whether intentionally or not. So said my high school principal when a student - newly arrived from Kansas - began wearing a genuine article godhatesfags.com t-shirt to school. The same principle might apply to Gotharella here.

And I'm (partially) surprised to see him playing the Wicca card. I'd like to see - I imagine it may yet exist in one of the many incarnations of self-designed Wicca practice - where and how wearing terrible makeup is part of his faith.

[voodoolily]

I notice that many of you seem to be anti-uniform in principle except when it comes to Catholic schoolgirls. I'm not sure when they started to gain their reputation, but I bet a lot of the "sluts" you guys refer to are simply buying into the fucked-up fetishes laid upon them. Why don't they make the girls wear a shirt, slacks and tie like the boys, so they don't have to look like the jailbait they have unfortunately been turned into by pedophiliac assholes who wanna destroy innocence and fuck something pure? These girls don't start school knowing that they look like Japanese porn, someone lets them know.

[Pococurante]

The only thing I'm jealous about with this kid is that I couldn't wear makeup until I was a junior! It's so easy to forget that the teen years are a crucial stage in our human development. We have to learn the final boundaries that can be tested, and what the consequences are for our actions.

Having boundaries enforced and learning to respect them is exactly that test.  When there's nothing to push against, there's no way to learn your own potential.

100% Comfort Zone <=> Useless Fucktard

It sounds like you personally came through a penultimate test and succeeded.  Hope you're doing something way cool with that accomplishment.  Having something *real* to push against is an amazingly effective and constructive way for a kid to grow up.  I'll bet you knew lots of kids back then who did not have something real to push against and probably came out nowhere near as well as you.

That's why dress codes are needed.

I can't define a fucked up person who needs a ten kiloton weight dropped on them to get them to fly straight.  But I know them when I see them.

Adults are (mostly) held responsible for their actions, and it normally makes for a far more comfortable social atmosphere than the schoolyard.  The difference is extremely sharp, and I'm honestly surprised that your and schild's reaction is "oh well, suck it up".

Comfortable? No they don't gather around you and mock you to your face.  Unless they're the Kiss-up/Kick-down types.

One just never gets anywhere.  Mocking is gentle compared to never being able to provide for one's family as much as one needs.

So yeah - one really does have to make their own way.  I find the folks who have been through this shit and took it as a challenge are some of the most interesting people out there.  The bullies and the dishrags never seem to get interesting.

[Raging Turtle]

And for you people who think that dresscodes/uniforms are a form of oppression: 쟛ou are a fucking moron and have absolutely no idea what oppression really is.

I guess a simple "Fuck you" is appropriate here. You don't know anything about me.

And to think, I actually liked you before you posted that.

I teach in South Korea. 
In schools here, they can't flunk you.  They can't expel you.  There's no kind of detention.  Instead, if you act like an ass and disrupt the class, you get whacked with a wooden stick all the teachers carry for just that purpose.  It hurts, and will often leave a bruise.  If you get in serious trouble, a certain teacher will take you to the 'punishment room' (thats how it translates), and beat the shit out of you with an even larger wooden stick.  If you're really bad, they might shave some of your hair as well as beat you, or crop it very short if you're a girl, to show you've been punished. 
That might qualify as oppression.  Maybe.  For a school, yes. 

Now, I've traveled a good bit around Asia.   There are plenty of countries around here where the POLICE do this shit on a regular basis when the bribes aren't paid.  Or if you piss them off some other way.  Or they'll lock you away for 30-40 years for having more than a few ounces of pot or other hard drugs on you if you don't have the equivelent of 300-500 American to bribe them to look the other way.  I'm mainly talking about southeast Asia here (Thailand, Cambodia, a few others around there.  Thailand isn't as bad as it used to be).  THAT is what oppression is.  So if I sound arrogant and condescending when I say school uniforms aren't really a form of oppresion, so be it.